Charity 'chugging' firm caught on camera making misleading claims

Shelter, Britain’s biggest homeless charity, has suspended all its dealings
with a private fund-raising company after one of its employees was caught on
video breaking the law by The Sunday Telegraph.

By Robert Mendick

9:00PM GMT 22 Dec 2012

A street fund-raiser working for the ‘chugging’ firm Tag Campaigns made misleading claims to an undercover reporter last week.

The video shows the street fund-raiser, seeking donors outside Angel tube station in north London. The fund-raiser failed to make the necessary solicitiation statement - explaining how much the fund-raising campaign costs - as required by law. To not do so is illegal.

The ‘chugger’ also claimed that the cost of solving London’s homeless problem is £30 million. This is not a figure Shelter recognises.

As a result of the video footage and further audio footage, Shelter suspended its contract with Tag.

The company had previously been investigated by The Sunday Telegraph which exposed in June a series of failings at the firm.

Sunday Telegraph undercover investigation into 'Chuggers' earlier this year

A Tag spokesman said: “Since tightening up our procedures in the summer we are certain that every fund-raiser knows their obligation to make the financial disclosure and we have signed documentation from each of them to that effect. However, even though every team has a Team Leader present it is still impossible to monitor every single interaction whilst on the street.

"When issues do occur it is a matter of regret, and once the Sunday Telegraph has given us the identity of the Fundraiser we will take the firmest possible disciplinary action available to us.”